DEFINITION AND SYMPTOMS OF PHOBIAS:
A phobia can be defined as an illogical fear or dread. When a person experiences a panic attack, they get panicky feelings; their breathing and heart rates increase; they may experience feeling choked up like their heart is in their throat; their palms often get sweaty; they may experience a ringing in their ears; and they often find that they are unable to take part in an activity. These feelings motivate the individual to try to avoid the situations and places that cause them.
EXAMPLES OF COMMON PHOBIAS:
For example, if someone has an irrational fear of driving, they would exhibit these symptoms at the time they endeavor to drive, or perhaps even when they think about driving. Or a terror attack may happen only when driving in specific places like across railroad tracks.
The fear of talking in front of a group of people is a comparatively widespread phobia. The frightened feelings appear when the sufferer begins to talk in front of a person that they are frightened by, or they might perhaps experience frightened feelings only when in front of a group of other people. The size of the assembly will vary. This phobia can be set off by fears of inadequacy, or a lack of self-esteem.
Those who suffer from a social phobia can get horrifically nervous just being around other folks, even people they recognize. It’s a fear that they will be criticized or evaluated by others. This fear can be set off by any kind of social relations. A person could be waiting on line at a supermarket and get stressful feelings as they imagine having to talk to the cashier while they checkout.
The fear of taking a test (which is universally known as test anxiety) is quite a common phobia. A phobia to taking tests is rooted in comparing yourself to other folks, and is deeply rooted in a fear of failing.
People have experienced irrational fears to every sort of experience and environment under the sun. For example: Snakes; bugs; relationships; flying; small enclosed places; animals; high places; death; and even the great outdoors.
Agoraphobia is generally thought to be a fear of open spaces. However, this definition is extremely confusing because Agoraphobics are really afraid of having a panic attack, wherever and whenever. This phobia is developed when a person begins to avoid places or situations they have associated with anxiety. For example, they could have a panic attack at home, church, or in a supermarket.
For people who suffer with phobias, once their panic attacks have begun, they begin to anticipate them to happen. And this anticipation actually causes them to occur with increasing frequency. Other folks experience fearful feelings on a continuous basis. These feelings cause an overall discomfort, rather than panic.
FORMS OF TREATMENT THAT ARE AVAILABLE
DRUGS:
Some physicians care for their patients using sedatives, which can make the condition worse over prolonged treatment. Sedatives do not treat the underlying cause of a phobia; they only camouflage some of the symptoms.
TALK THERAPY:
Some schools of therapy prescribe “Talk Therapy.” Talk therapy is only talking about what is bothering you. Unfortunately, talking about or even thinking about the situation or environment that sets off a phobia can trigger a panic attack!
HYPNOTHERAPY:
Traditional hypnosis has been used to treat phobias, but with only meager success. Traditional hypnotic therapy is accomplished when the therapist guides the subject into a relaxed state of self hypnosis and gives the client post-hypnotic commands or suggestions. Since most people in this generation question and resist direct suggestions, they also reject the idea that they will be more relaxed and at ease when they encounter the situation or environment that triggers their panic attacks.
SYSTEMATIC DESENSITIZATION:
Systematic Desensitization is the process of slowly desensitizing a phobic person to the environment or circumstances that sets off a panic attack. For example, if a woman wants to dive from a high board but she fears it, she is asked to first dive from a height that she feels confident about. She dives in and realizes that she did not get hurt and that she is secure.
Next she is asked to dive in from the bottom step of the ladder going up to the high diving board. Again, she dives in and realizes that she wasn’t hurt and that she is again safe and secure.
Over a period of time the subject is asked to dive in from progressively higher steps on the ladder. Each time she dives in and realizes that nothing bad happened and that she is safe and secure, she is able to move up to the next rung on the ladder. If she experiences the sensation of fear, then she is asked to move back down one rung on the ladder and dive from there until she feels complete comfort and security. In the end she makes it to the top of the ladder and dives in from the high board itself.
SYSTEMATIC DESENSITIZATION WHILE IN THE STATE OF HYPNOSIS:
Systematic Desensitization can be done virtually while in a hypnotic state with as good as or even better results. While in a relaxed state of hypnosis, the woman would be asked to envision herself diving in from each step on the ladder. She would be asked to visualize herself feeling relaxed and confident as she dives in. Since she is in fact disassociated while picturing herself, she is unable to trigger a phobic attack.
Next she is asked to associate, or put the camera inside of her head so she would be seeing what she would see through her own eyes if she was actually diving in from each step of the ladder. She is asked to imagine feeling safe and relaxed as she dives in.
Just as in a live (in vivo) systematic desensitization, if she feels any panic she is asked to go back to the previous lower step on the ladder and visualize diving in from there.
She might be taught to create a kinesthetic (feeling or touch) “anchor” of feelings of security and safety. She could then trigger that anchor while imagining that she is diving, and the feelings of safety and security could be subjectively transferred to the act of diving.
Systematic Desensitization while in a hypnotic state can be very useful and totally successful, but is can also be slow and take several hypnotic sessions to bring about a cure.
NLP V/K DISASSOCIATION:
Neuro-Linguistic Programming is fundamentally the study and practice of how we create our reality. The V/K stands for visual / kinesthetic. The V/K Disassociation is a technique that allows a trained NLP Practitioner to guide a subject through specific visual imagery that quickly and in many cases instantly disconnects or disassociates the feelings of freight from the trigger or phobia that causes them. The V/K Disassociation is known as the “One session phobia cure” in Neuro-Linguistic Programming circles, and with good reason.
CONCLUSION:
Irrational fears are common in our culture. They are fears that are not based in reality. There are many ways of treating phobias, but thus far in my view, the best finest available are Systematic Desensitization while hypnotized, and the Neuro-Linguistic Programming V/K Disassociation technique.
Many bipolar sufferers are unaware that their condition exists. The initial symptoms of bipolar disorder, commonly known as manic depression, start to manifest during adolescence and can be triggered at any time.
Fortunately this disorder, thought to be a chemical brain imbalance, can be treated very successfully. The main concern is to spot the initial symptoms of bipolar early, so that an accurate diagnosis can be made and the appropriate treatment started.
If someone in your circle of family and friends has bipolar disorder, then you would already know the effect it has on their daily lives. Contrary to popular belief, individuals suffering with bipolar disorder are not always depressed and morose. The very nature of bipolar means that wild mood swings occur moving from high to low in a short space of time. These mood swings can be quite difficult to distinguish.
The illness is highly likely to recur frequently, affecting a person for their entire lifetime. The best long-term treatment is achieved by fostering and maintaining a strong support group. This of course is totally dependent on being able to spot the initial symptoms of bipolar disorder in the first place.
HOW TO SPOT DEPRESSION
Correctly identifying depression is a tricky exercise, and can baffle even the most experienced professional. One obvious sign of depression is a sad or anxious mood manifesting over an extended period. Another can be lack of motivation or desire to participate in activities which would normally be enjoyed by the person, for example hobbies, sex or social activities.
WHAT CONSTITUTES A MANIC EPISODE
The most noticeable behavior is a euphoric mood and increased level of energy. These characteristics are quite evident and easily noticed. Other signs include over generosity, spending sprees, hypersexuality (increased sex drive), loss of concentration, and grandiose feelings of invincibility.
SYMPTOMS OF PSYCHOSIS
In serious cases of bipolar disorder, the associated extreme mood swings can progress into psychosis symptoms, including delusions and hallucinations. While others can recognize psychosis quite easily, the patient is often unaware of them.
MIXED BIPOLAR STATES
Sometimes a mixed state of a bipolar disorder occurs, where the sufferer simultaneously experiences depression and mania. Symptoms often include sleep deficiency, appetite changes and agitation. Patients with mixed bipolar states can be extremely depressed but still possess high energy levels.
IDENTIFYING MORBID THOUGHTS
One of the most feared bipolar symptoms for the loved ones supporting a bipolar sufferer is the appearance of potentially morbid thoughts. Any suspicion that a patient is thinking morbidly and contemplating suicide should be acted upon immediately. In such cases a 911 emergency call should be made as a standard preventative measure. Better to be on the safe side than suffer a tragic suicide.
If the true nature of a person’s condition is to be revealed, recognizing the initial symptoms of bipolar is vitally important. Improper diagnosis can lead to a prolonged lifetime of suffering. All too often a patient seeks medical advice when suffering from depression, but they do not think it important to disclose their manic episodes. This is mainly because they feel good, and connect their manic periods with happiness and a normal state.
Research and study has now heightened awareness of this condition. More and more people are becoming educated and can recognize the initial symptoms of bipolar disorder. Information and guidance is now readily available through quality resources on reputable websites and from local mental health clinics.
How lucky we are to live in an age where the debilitating nature of such a condition can be halted by identifying the initial symptoms of bipolar early, allowing patients and their loved ones to lead normal, productive and healthy lives.
Jean Littman is married to a bipolar sufferer and is co-owner of BipolarClues.com which provides quality resources and tools for bipolar disorder and manic depression sufferers and their loved ones.
Natural treatment for panic disorder works best to get rid of symptoms for good.
Medications can help the symptoms of an acute attack, and can reduce the likelihood of an attack happening, but will not cure the condition.They may control the symptoms enough so that natural methods can be used effectively.
Panic attacks are caused by an over-activation of the body’s natural “fight or flight” response to danger. They become more troublesome as the sufferer begins to perceive more and more places, situations, thoughts or items as “dangerous” because an attack is likely to happen and the whole situation can become a downward spiral of cause and effect, which is called panic disorder. As a result a sufferer will try to avoid situations that are likely to provoke an attack, and be chronically anxious about having to come in contact with something that causes panic. This is called avoidance behavior and can lead to agoraphobia.
Natural treatment for panic disorder falls into 2 main groups:
*Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or CBT
This is one of the most effective forms of therapy. It involves therapy sessions with a psychologist who will help a sufferer understand what conscious thoughts are likely to trigger a panic attack. Therapy will aim at changing the thought process so that the trigger is no longer a threat.
* Exposure Therapy
Again this involves several sessions with a therapist who will gradually expose a sufferer to a panic trigger in a controlled way. With each exposure the panic response should be small enough to handle and will gradually reduce as exposure becomes more frequent and prolonged.
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Elizabeth Alcorn is a doctor with extensive experience in treating anxiety and panic.
She promotes this product, which she strongly believes to be the best programme for anxiety elimination, and may receive compensation for sales made through this link.
